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Dr. Olsen, Psychologist

Category: Mental Health

Satisfied Customers: 2336

Experience: PsyD Psychologist

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How does a man change from a negative thinking pattern to a

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How does a man change from a negative thinking pattern to a more positive one? I suspect that this will not be an easy answer.BTW: I have suffered with depression all my life, I'm on two low doeses of antidepressants (effexor and wellbutrin), I also take lithium for bipolar and seroquil for psycosis. I am able to work full time at a hospital in a professional career, but I often suffer with depression and it is difficult to stay positive.

Hi,Thank you for writing in JustAnswer.I'm sorry to hear about your situation.Let me ask you a question first.Are you working with a psychologist now?Please let me know by clicking on “Reply” and I will then craft my response.I look forward to hearing from you.

Yes, I see a Psychiatrist and a mental health worker together, once every four to six weeks. I like to get more that one opion to help solve my problems, also if your answers coincide with my psychiatrist, that makes me more confident in following through with the recommendation, or maybe you will have another way of accomplishing my goal.

Hi there,Thank you for waiting.I am so sorry to hear about your situation.It sounds like you suffer from depression and mood swings.Taking the medications only doesn't seem to be helping you.Yes, you should try weekly psychotherapy and other stress reduction techniques.Cognitive-behavior therapy (CBT) is effective for depression. The books "Mind Over Mood: Change How You Feel by Changing the Way You Think" by***** *****berger, Christine Padesky and "Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy" by David D. Burns may be helpful for you to apply some techniques to your condition.As you know, depression affects both mind and body.Depression can disrupt the nerve impulses that carry a constant stream of orders from the brain to the muscles. When the depressed brain slows down, so do the signals to all parts of body. Depression affects MEMORY, problem-solving ability, language, perception and is accompanied by nervous tension, anxiety, and profound fatigue. It can generate pain and aches. If untreated over time, Depression may cause Psychosis. Medical reasons for Depression may include thyroid hormone abnormality, Vitamin B12 Deficiency, Chronic pain, Stroke (Brain injury), Alzheimer’s disease, other medical problems such as kidneys, heart, lung, epilepsy, migraine headaches, brain injury. Malnutrition/brain damage can dull mood further. Excessive alcohol use may aggravate depression and cause Psychosis. Some medication can cause or contribute to depression. Your doctor should know all the medication that you are taking.I also advise you to see a psychotherapist to express and process your feelings and thoughts and get advice and support WEEKLY. A combination of psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy are considered to be effective to treat Depression.Cognitive-behvaior therapy (CBT) will work for depression and anxiety.You may ask your doctor for a psychologist/psychotherapist that you can work with WEEKLY. Or you may call your insurance company and get a list of providers in your area.Or, you can search a licensed psychologist on internet- such as the PSYCHOLOGY TODAY website. Go to (http://therapists.psychologytoday.com/ppc/prof_search.php?iorb=4764) and enter your zip code and optional category of specialty such as Depression or Bipolar disorder. Read psychotherapists’ profile to see if he or she specializes in Cognitive-behavior therapy. You may also want to create your mental image of psychotherapist that you want to work with – Male or female? To note, many therapists offer initial consultation for free. So you can see it as an informational meeting. You can ask any question and negotiate psychotherapy fee.If you have no health insurance or seek a low fee counseling, you may call The United Way toll free # 211 (Dial 2-1-1)to find the community mental health centers in your area in which you can get counseling even without health insurance.In addition, stress reduction and relaxation techniques such as yoga, swimming, biofeedback, acupuncture, meditation and massage therapy may be helpful for you to reduce the severity of depression and mood swings. Also, eating a healthy diet rich in Omega-3s – Cold water fish, walnuts, flaxseeds, salmon, halibut, shrimp and tofu etc. may be helpful to your brain health and affective regulation.I hope you get well with all available help and support.Please let me know if you have more questions or I have overlooked any. Warm regards, ***** remember to click the green ACCEPT button. You do not get charged twice; I will continue to answer your question whenever I am back online; my goal is to get you the best answers possible. If I can be of further help with any issue, just put "for Dr. Olsen" in the front of your new question. All the best, ***** *****